Logic of the 250 Fuelie

[Walter F.]

I can understand the Powerglide 250 HP Fuelie in the 57 to 59 cars. You cant drive a standard shift but want a Fuelie car. But after 59 when the 4 speed was manditory for all Fuelie cars why in your right mind would you pay the same $484.00 (a lot of cash in 1960 dollars) for less HP than the duel four barrel 469C engine in 1960 and the 468 engine in 1961.What was Chevrolet or the buyer thinking?

[Stuart F.]

Re: Logic of the 250 Fuelie

Gas mileage?

The 250 hp found it's way into a number of passenger cars as well, as I recall.

Stu Fox

[Clem Z.]

Re: Logic of the 250 Fuelie

the more FI sold the less cost per unit i would guess. a friend clark irwin who later worked at the GM tech center and mentioned in paul van valkenburgh book about chevy in racing bought a new 57 FI corvette which he thought was a 283 HP but when he street raced jerry rowe with his new 57 FI 283 HP corvette he found his was a 250 HP. GM or the dealer took the car back and gave him a 283 HP one.

[Bruce B.]

Re: Logic of the 250 Fuelie

My 57 250 HP Powerglide, power windows, power top, radio and everything else was probably purchased for some guys wife.......

[Bill M.]

Re: Logic of the 250 Fuelie

I can understand the Powerglide 250 HP Fuelie in the 57 to 59 cars. You cant drive a standard shift but want a Fuelie car. But after 59 when the 4 speed was manditory for all Fuelie cars why in your right mind would you pay the same $484.00 (a lot of cash in 1960 dollars) for less HP than the duel four barrel 469C engine in 1960 and the 468 engine in 1961.What was Chevrolet or the buyer thinking?

Here is a summary of FI advantages in the Chevy brochure that all early FI cars got:

exceptional smoothness even during warm-up
higher power and husky torque
quick engine starting even in severe weather
full power as soon as the engine starts
greater over-all fuel economy

[Bruce B.]

Re: Logic of the 250 Fuelie

Walter,

Cars with fuel injection (after 1959) were required to have manual transmissions as you pointed out
.
So I have to assume that they were supplied with 3 speed transmissions, since 4 speeds were optional not mandatory as far as I can tell.

[William C.]

Re: Logic of the 250 Fuelie

My first Corvette was originally a 283/250 FI with 3 speed and no radio. As I figured it out, it was the lowest window sticker you could get and advertise an FI car on the showroom without driving the Service guys NUTS! The 327/350 in it when I bought it and the T-10 came along later in life (much later for the engine...)

[Clem Z.]

Re: Logic of the 250 Fuelie

My first Corvette was originally a 283/250 FI with 3 speed and no radio. As I figured it out, it was the lowest window sticker you could get and advertise an FI car on the showroom without driving the Service guys NUTS! The 327/350 in it when I bought it and the T-10 came along later in life (much later for the engine...)

when i went to buy a new 58 348 3 speed impala from the dealer i deal with now he told me he would sell me the car if i promised not to give the service manager who was his uncle a hard time. he turned out to be a big corvette dealer for being out in the sticks.

[John D.]

Re: Logic of the 250 Fuelie

I have been playing with fuel injections for an eon now. I really don't know an answer except for this undocumented one.

Frank Sciabica from RP told me that the bean counters were complaining about the high cost of the fuel injection. They also complained about the huge inventory and left over castings.
Frank said RP used up a ton of old castings to create the low HP units.
When I think about that statement today I agree. But you didn't ask that queston Walter. You asked why a car owner would order a low HP unit when it was the same price as the HHP. Maybe it was an insurance thing. Mayby the buyer wanted the automatic tranny. Good question Walter but one we may never know the answer for.
I don't have room hear to tell you folks all about low HP units. I have tried to do so at various seminars but it's tough.

Here is just one sample of RP using the same old plenum on various FI units.
7014944 plenum (center section) has fins. That plenum was used on 7014900 (LHP) 7014900R(HHP) 7017200 (LHP) and 7017250 (HHP)
So that same plenum was used from 1958 to 1961 on various FI units.
One day on the phone I said to Frank that I was confused as to why RP messed with the plenum design clean up to 60-61. He said to me John the reason they had two versions of FI's was just to use up the castings as some dummy ran way more than they needed.
Look in the NCRS pocket spec guide (my bible). At the PA regional I bought two more from Gary so I can have them all over the house.
Anyhow check out the 1959 Corvette fuel injection selection. See how many FI's were available that year. Why you ask??? Just to use up castings Frank said.

[Clem Z.]

Re: Logic of the 250 Fuelie

when GM got rid of the fins on top of the dog house did that increase the volume inside the dog house ??

[John D.]

Re: Logic of the 250 Fuelie

Clem, Answer is not until 62 FI. The 62 FI car is a real sleeper. The plenum is already hogged out from the factory. Unlike the 283 plenums that need drastic bubba work to hog them out.
A cheater is to use a 62 FI plenum on a 60-61 7320 unit. Then your 60-61 unit will breath a lot better-more CFM's. To do this switch you have to drill a 1/8" pipe hole for the cranking signal valve. That's easy. But the difficult part is your have to weld up the 1/8" pipe hole in the front of the 62 plenum and texture the weld.

[Mike M.]

Re: Logic of the 250 Fuelie

john: since the RP airmeters all have a 580 cfm capacity, how can the 62 plenum increase cfm? ole frank s told me to space the diffuser out from the air meter and that would increase the cfm to about 600. mike

[Chuck B.]

Re: Logic of the 250 Fuelie

The original owner of my 250 HP 1960 thought he was getting a 275 HP engine (thats what the dealers order form dated 10/12/59 says). The sales brochure and owners manuals for the 60's also said the horsepower was 275 and that the heads were aluminum. When I purchased the car from him in 1989 I asked him why he wanted the fuel injection, and he replied "for the fuel mileage". His wife said he was really tight with money because he didn't even order the $10.80 sunshades.
I have a friend in Springfield, MO who is the original owner of a 1959 Classic Cream 4 speed car, and if I remember correctly he didn't want the bother of adjusting the solid lifters on the 290 HP car.

[Joe L.]

Re: Logic of the 250 Fuelie

I can understand the Powerglide 250 HP Fuelie in the 57 to 59 cars. You cant drive a standard shift but want a Fuelie car. But after 59 when the 4 speed was manditory for all Fuelie cars why in your right mind would you pay the same $484.00 (a lot of cash in 1960 dollars) for less HP than the duel four barrel 469C engine in 1960 and the 468 engine in 1961.What was Chevrolet or the buyer thinking?

Walter-----

If one wanted the "cachet" of a fuel injected engine, smooth and pleasant street operation and didn't want the "finicky" nature and maintenance associated with a mechanical lifter engine, the 250 HP engine was perfect.

The GM #3733431 and following GM #3896929 camshafts were among the best STREET cams ever.

[Jim L.]

Re: Logic of the 250 Fuelie

john: since the RP airmeters all have a 580 cfm capacity, how can the 62 plenum increase cfm?

Mike, the '62 air meters use a venturi cone that is open in the center. This revised cone greatly increases the air flow capability of the air meter.

ole frank s told me to space the diffuser out from the air meter and that would increase the cfm to about 600. mike

The increase in cfm is real but minor. The greater effect of spacing the venturi cone is to weaken the venturi signal which the fuel meter needs to control nozzle flow. As a result, the ratio lever stops would need to be adjusted to restore the proper air/fuel ratio.

Jim